


How the lowly can rise.

by BunnyJess



Series: The Line of Sakeer [1]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Albinism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambush, Discrimination, Honour, Original Character(s), Prejudice, Prove Your Worth, Ritual Combat, Sangheilios, The Great Schism, training grounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:22:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27806020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyJess/pseuds/BunnyJess
Summary: In a world where almost everyone looks down on him, Varum must fight to prove his worth in the only way a meritocracy will appreciate. When news comes through that the very fabric of their reality is being wiped clean, how will he adapt to this new challenge.
Series: The Line of Sakeer [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034499
Kudos: 1





	How the lowly can rise.

**Author's Note:**

> Written by my husband (who is an immaculate Halo nerd).

Varum’s face hit the dirt and he felt the shame growing inside him, how could he have allowed such a cheap trick to fool him. He quickly righted himself just in time to block the oncoming attack. His forearm halted his attackers strike whilst giving him a window to retaliate. Varum punched straight into the gut of his opponent and felt him buckle at his strength. Taking the initiative Varum twisted the weapon out of his opponent’s weakened grip and claimed it as his own, not wanting to give his enemy a relief he kicked at their chest sending them sprawling out into the very dirt he had been in moments ago. Varum charged and grabbed hold of the other Sangheili’s neck making a clinically accurate cutting motion across his neck.

A lazy rattle of applause echoed in the training hall and Varum stood proud, he had fought well and more importantly recovered from a potentially regrettable position.   
“Varum ‘Sakeer is the winner and will advance to the final round of this competition.” Announced their instructor. Varum stood tall and proud, flexing his mandibles. The applause died down rapidly but Varum was used to this, he was never going to be a highly regarded warrior despite his best efforts, not that this would stop him. One in twenty thousand humans suffers from albinism but amongst the Sangheili that rate is inordinately higher, only one in two million is affected by the condition and as such it is a highly stigmatised and discriminated against condition.

Varum was one of the rare occurrences of Sangheili albinism and as such had faced many hardships in his relatively short life. In human years he was thirty one but within the Sangheili culture he was still only twenty and just finishing his training, ready to take up a combat role. His beautiful white skin was a sight to be beholden. The fine intricacies of Sangheili bodies, normally lost in the darker skin tones of his kin, showed up in beautiful detail. The ridges of his leathery skin echoed the aesthetic of human luxury from a few centuries prior and the intense red of his eyes burned a hole in the soul of any being who dared meet his gaze. It was rare for any Sangheili to meet his gaze as he was deemed unworthy and tarnished, but when they did Varum often found himself coming out on top with his opponent unwilling to look into his eyes for any longer.

Because of the difficulties faced by Varum because of his skin he had been forced to work harder, train longer and practice much more intensely than any of his fellow trainees just to get noticed. As a result of this he was by far the most proficient fighter amongst the Vadam keep’s top ranking training school. Normally such a position would lead to a much better rating within the Covenant when he soon graduated, but because of his condition he would be lucky to be assigned to a minor combat group which would most likely consist of the infuriating and easily killed Unggoy. This would mean the humans would most likely slaughter his unit before he could end them and then he himself would be removed from active service for failing to command effectively.

The very thought turned Varum’s stomach so he had vowed to fight as hard as he possibly could. Varum’s entire world however was about to be flipped on its head. One of the other instructors came bursting into the chamber.  
“Iritas, look on your holopanel!” He bellowed at his fellow instructor who did indeed raise his holopanel and activate it. A message burst into life and they all listened intently.  
“My brothers and sisters we have been lied to, the great journey is not as we thought and the prophets have lied to us all. Furthermore they have betrayed us, supplanting the crude and honourless Jiralhanae into our positions. The Covenant is no more, the Sangheili stand apart from the Covenant for the first time in many an age. As soon as I can I will return to our home and brief you all further but for now we wait to see what our future holds.”

Their kaidon, Thel Vadamee, spoke clearly and with absolute certainty but surely what he said could not be true? One of the other trainees spoke up.  
“How can this be so? The Covenant, in taters and our position betrayed?” Iritas made a slicing movement with his arm.  
“That is enough! You heard the Kaidon, he will be back before too long to provide us with the answers you seek. Do not waste your time with half-cocked conspiracies and hypothetical situations.” His order whilst directed at the foolish upstart, resonated within all of them. He was right of course, it did no good to be making up your own assumptions until they had all the information. They must wait until their kaidon returned and for now, return to their studies of war.

They all reconvened in the communal spaces where Varum retreated to his usual corner to eat and rest. The events of the afternoon playing in his mind still, he struggled to grasp the idea that the Covenant was no longer. The Covenant had existed for eons it felt and was just a fact of life and had been for generations, what manner of events could have led to its downfall especially with the brink of victory so close in this war against the humans. Varum finished his meal and made his way back to the barracks to begin his reading of the war texts. He stepped out of the communal area and into the lazy evening sunset brushing the entire valley their camp was set in in a beautiful orange glow. He strolled slowly down the path and through a grouping of bushes.

Varum could smell that something was wrong, his journeys were usually interrupted by someone hurling some kind of abuse at him but there had been no such interruption, this worried him. Then as if to confirm his paranoias three of his fellow trainees sprang out of the bushes, one of them the Sangheili that he had defeated during practise today.   
“Stop where you are.” Helion said, he still held a hand protectively to his gut from where Varum had attacked him earlier.   
“What is the meaning of this Helion, is your loss not shameful enough that you must now ambush me with greater numbers to achieve victory, not that you will have one.” Varum clacked his mandibles threateningly demonstrating his outrage at their lack of honour.

“You speak of honour when you are the one without it! How can you have honour with such diluted skin, you are a shell of a Sangheili and yet you dare to best us in OUR arena of battle.” Varum shook his head at Helios’ poor excuses for his failings.  
“It is not my fault you have poor technique and lack the discipline to mount an effective attack, Helios, maybe you should be looking at yourself rather than placing the blame on others.” Varum’s honesty clearly did not sit well with Helios as he immediately launched for Varum, the other two Sangheili followed suit but were a pace behind. Helios’ impulsiveness would be his downfall as he had left his reinforcements too far behind. Helios jabbed at Varum’s head but he simply leaned back out of the way and then let his fist swing past his head.

Varum resumed his stance and brought his powerful arm up towards Helios, his hand connected with Helios’ neck and crushed the unprotected windpipe. Desperately gasping for air Helios fell backwards into a heap on the floor as the closest of his escorts reached Varum. He threw a leg at Varum’s chest hoping to throw him off balance, Varum instead steadied his footing and braced against the blow. His chest screamed in pain as the foot connected with his ribs but this was part of his plan. He cemented his stance; grabbed hold of the foot and leg, spun on his axis dragging the foot and sangheili attached to it into the third attacker who was readying his own attack. The two attackers collided, the head of the Sangheili Varum was hurling through the air slammed into the charging knee of his compatriot and knocked him unconscious. The final foe was upended onto his back and Varum took the advantage.

The limp form of the second attacker crashed into a rock several feet away as Varum charged his last remaining opponent. They were just about to stand when Varum’s heavy foot struck the side of their head, knocking them back onto the floor and clouding their vision. With a decisive strike Varum brought his leg into the air once more and brought it crashing down onto the dazed attacker’s face, crushing their head and killing them. The wet squish that emanated from his fallen foe as Varum withdrew his foot satisfied him, three mediocre assailants had launched a surprise attack on him and he had come out victorious. With his pride sky-rocketing he turned to deal with Helios. The wretch was still lying on the floor struggling to regain his breath and panic flared in his small yellow eyes when he saw an uninjured Varum stalking towards him.

“You, Helios ‘Tarak, are an inept coward who couldn’t best me so resulted to honourless tactics to try and right some wrong you perceived me to have committed.” Varum paused and looked down at the cowering Helios, fear flooding his eyes and showing his true colours.  
“I Varum ‘Sakeer will be your end and you will die knowing that you will never best me.” Varum took hold of Helios’ left leg then stomped deliberately at the joint. It ruptured as jagged bone burst through the skin, spilling Helios’ cowardly blood over the floor. Helios screamed as much as his crushed throat would allow. Varum walked round to the other leg and repeated the process. Now sure that his opponent couldn’t escape he selected a sizeable boulder and hefted it off the ground; he then walked back over to Helios and lifted the boulder as high as he could, Helios flailed his arms desperately to block the boulder but nothing could stop it as Varum hurled it down onto Helios’ head, ending this time wasting ordeal.

Varum clacked his mandibles disgruntedly as he noticed Helios’ blood had sprayed all over his legs, a noise behind him caught his attention and his spun round to face it. What he saw was his instructor clapping slowly as he looked upon the scene of death before him.  
“Varum ‘Sakeer, explain this impressive display of brutality.” Varum dropped to one knee and brought his arm across his chest.  
“My honour, Helios and his conspirators ambushed me as I returned to the barracks. He claimed I lacked honour and had no right to best him in single combat.” Iritas nodded, taking in what Varum was saying.  
“When I made him aware of his he attacked blindly. I subdued him and then the other over there. I killed the third attacker and then returned my attention back to Helios.” Iritas looked concerned.  
“Was Helios still conscious?” He asked, demanding the answer.  
“Yes my honour, I then made sure the coward could not run from his fate which was soon deliverd.” Varum finished his story but made sure to keep his head bowed.

Iritas ‘Karamee was a well decorated and well respected veteran warrior. He had trained a great many honour guard, fleetmasters and shipmasters in his time and so deserved the respect Varum showed him by not meeting his gaze in this instant.  
“Yes I witnessed that much and I must say, Helios had it coming. The fool barely knew a burnblade from an energy sword, the mistake was his thinking that he and these two could take on someone of your considerable skill Varum.” Varum dipped his head further.  
“Thank you master ‘Karamee, such praise from one as honourable as yourself is a great privilege!” Iritas laughed briefly.  
“Enough of your praise Varum, and for the love of the Gods will you stand! I hate talking to the top of heads, especially when they command such respect as your skills grant you.” He waved Varum to his feet.

Several feet away the second attacker began to regain their consciousness.  
“What of this one?” Iritas asked as they both turned to look upon the young Sangheili who was beginning to realise the situation he was in.  
“He made a mistake siding with Helios but he was the only one of the three who managed to make contact with me, even if it was because I allowed it.” Iritas contemplated this information.  
“His death will be stayed until he can find it on the battlefield then, but he will be given the lowest assignments from here on out.” Iritas said purposefully.  
“A wise and merciful decision master ‘Karamee.” Varum added.  
“Indeed it is. Now as for you, young champion, I await your victory tomorrow. Rest well and tend to any injuries sustained, I will be greatly disappointed to see you fail tomorrow.” With that Iritas continued on his way back to his quarters and the Sangheili who had been spared slumped off slowly, knowing the shame he had brought upon his line. Varum looked proudly once more over the scene then carried on his way back to the barracks.


End file.
